Table of Contents

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Japanese General Social Survey (JGSS), 2002 (ICPSR 4214)

Principal Investigator(s):
Tanioka, Ichiro, Osaka University of Commerce;
Iwai, Noriko, Osaka University of Commerce;
Nitta, Michio, University of Tokyo. Institute of Social Science;
Sato, Hiroki, University of Tokyo. Institute of Social Science

Summary:

This survey was designed to solicit political,
sociological, and economic information from people living in Japan.
Respondents were queried on crime and the judicial system, and more
specifically, on issues such as the death penalty, juvenile
punishment, and whether respondents were victims of various crimes
within the last year. Questions on family issues covered topics such
as divorce, the health of respondents' marriages, the roles of each
spouse, and issues involving children. Questions on finances included
the state of respondents' finances during the last few years and
compared to other Japanese families both past and present, whether the
income tax rate was high, and the ease of improving one's standard of
living in Japan. Political questions addressed government spending,
the responsibility of the government, and whether respondents would
vote for a female gubernatorial candidate. Also, respondents were
asked to rate their political views on a scale from conservative (1)
to progressive (5). In terms of health, questions were asked on the
health of respondents and their spouses, the topic of euthanasia,
donation cards, and the frequency of smoking and alcohol consumption.
Quality of life questions addressed the frequency with which
respondents read the newspaper and watched television, the amount of
satisfaction respondents received from life, and how often respondents
participated in leisure activities like fishing, jogging, and mahjong.
Respondents were asked to give their opinions concerning extra-marital
affairs, sexual relations between two adults of the same sex,
pornography, and prostitution. Information gathered on religion
included the extent of their participation in a particular religion,
whether respondents believed in life after death, and views on
burial. Respondents were polled for information regarding their social
status and whether respondents were members of any groups including
religious, trade, or social service organizations. Demographic
information included age, sex, employment status, marital status,
household income, and religious orientation.

This survey was designed to solicit political,
sociological, and economic information from people living in Japan.
Respondents were queried on crime and the judicial system, and more
specifically, on issues such as the death penalty, juvenile
punishment, and whether respondents were victims of various crimes
within the last year. Questions on family issues covered topics such
as divorce, the health of respondents' marriages, the roles of each
spouse, and issues involving children. Questions on finances included
the state of respondents' finances during the last few years and
compared to other Japanese families both past and present, whether the
income tax rate was high, and the ease of improving one's standard of
living in Japan. Political questions addressed government spending,
the responsibility of the government, and whether respondents would
vote for a female gubernatorial candidate. Also, respondents were
asked to rate their political views on a scale from conservative (1)
to progressive (5). In terms of health, questions were asked on the
health of respondents and their spouses, the topic of euthanasia,
donation cards, and the frequency of smoking and alcohol consumption.
Quality of life questions addressed the frequency with which
respondents read the newspaper and watched television, the amount of
satisfaction respondents received from life, and how often respondents
participated in leisure activities like fishing, jogging, and mahjong.
Respondents were asked to give their opinions concerning extra-marital
affairs, sexual relations between two adults of the same sex,
pornography, and prostitution. Information gathered on religion
included the extent of their participation in a particular religion,
whether respondents believed in life after death, and views on
burial. Respondents were polled for information regarding their social
status and whether respondents were members of any groups including
religious, trade, or social service organizations. Demographic
information included age, sex, employment status, marital status,
household income, and religious orientation.

Universe:
Men and women aged 20-89 living in Japan with the
right to vote.

Data Type(s):
survey data

Data Collection Notes:

JGSS data and the supporting documents are provided
both in English and Japanese for convenience for users of either
language. The JGSS is conducted in the Japanese language. The English
version of the questionnaires and datasets have been constructed for
the convenience of researchers. This is to remind all users of the
English version of the JGSS datasets and questionnaires that the
nuanced meanings conveyed in the original language may not be
contained in the English version of the questionnaires and datasets.

This survey was produced by the Osaka University of Commerce, Office of Japanese General Social Survey, 2004, Osaka, Japan.